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DACC instructor dies week after being hit by car on campus

Community remembers caring nursing instructor

By Matlin Smith/msmith@lcsun-news.com

Posted:
01/27/2013 06:21:42 PM MST

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LAS CRUCES - A colorful memorial for Dr. Lucy Montes-Sandoval is adorned with more than 60 candles and personal notes at the corner of Stewart and Knox streets on the New Mexico State University campus, the site where Montes-Sandoval, a Dona Ana Community College nursing instructor, was struck by a car Jan. 17. She died from her injuries in an El Paso hospital on Friday night.

LAS CRUCES — Colleagues and the local college community spent the weekend in mourning after a Doña Ana Community College instructor, who was hit by a car, passed away at an El Paso hospital.

After a little more than a week in the intensive care unit at the University Medical Center, Lucy Montes-Sandoval, a respected DACC nursing instructor, passed away at 10:22 p.m. Friday, according to a colleague.

Officials said Montes-Sandoval, 53, suffered severe head injuries the morning of Jan. 17 when she was struck by a car in the crosswalk at the intersection of Stewart and Knox streets on the New Mexico State University campus.

'She loved her students'

"She was a very, very caring person. She loved her students," said Francine Simms, a junior at DACC who said she had Montes-Sandoval an an instructor her first semester in the nursing program. "She would come in the room with personal stories, like of what her girls and her sons were like. It's a really big loss for the community, and the DACC nursing community."

Following the incident, students and colleagues began lighting candles in vigil nightly on the southeast corner of the intersection where the incident occurred as a means of support for Montes-Sandoval during her stay in the hospital.

"Her family should be proud of how many students lives she touched," said Earl Nissen, a DACC colleague who said he knew Montes-Sandoval for 10 years.

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"She'll always be remembered by the students for helping teach them the humanity side of nursing."

Nissen said he and Montes-Sandoval were in constant contact since the DACC nursing program lost its accreditation in the summer of 2012.

"She had the greatest respect for truth and transparency, which were issues with the DACC administration," he said, adding that she remained in the program to help the nursing students through the program's "troubling times."

Before her stint with the DACC nursing program, Montes-Sandoval worked at Gadsden Middle School as a counselor in the school's health center.

"To work for and with Lucy was an extreme honor," said Lisa Chavez, a former GMS coworker. "The adolescents, children and adults she treated through her training as a clinical nurse specialist are countless, but more importantly the lives she changed are immeasurable."

Chavez said Montes-Sandoval, or "Luce" as she affectionately called her, was a woman of faith, who was deeply committed to listening to the needs of those around her, and lived by the motto, "life always gives us what we need."

"If I had to summarize Lucy in one word it would be simply 'phenomenal'," Chavez said.

Crosswalk safety

Based on the information in the NMSU police report, it's unclear if Montes-Sandoval was leaving or arriving at that curb just before a 1997 Ford Taurus hit her.

The driver of the NMSU-owned Taurus, Catherine Parra — a 22-year-old NMSU employee — told police she did not see Montes-Sandoval in the crosswalk.

According to the police report, Parra said she "looked down at the car radio while turning" then saw Montes-Sandoval "roll off the hood of the car."

Police did not immediately file any citations or charges, according to the report.

The police report estimated that the crash caused $400 of damage to the Taurus. Police noted it had two small dents on the hood.

NMSU Police Chief Stephen Lopez said the intersection of Stewart and Knox streets isn't regarded as particularly dangerous. He did note that in his 20 years at the school, there have been "several incidents (of cars hitting pedestrians) most at crosswalks," especially during the busier time when school is in session.

As of Sunday afternoon, no memorial service arrangements had been set.

Sun-News reporter James Staley contributed to this report.

Matlin Smith may be reached at 575-541-5468; follow her on Twitter @msmith_lcsun.

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